Wakuchin
by Ro Oeuvre Belvedere
Summary: She's forgotten by her friends. She's forgotten by her home. She was snatched from all she knows! And yet, she too has forgotten...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay folks, I'm still working on the next chapter for Parallel Jigsaw, so it shouldn't be long now. In the meantime, here's the first chapter of my very first Naruto AU idea. **

**This is the beginning of my NEOZAKURA COMPILATION. Lemme know what you think.**

**And… Disclaimer: Kishi owns all original Naruto characters. Also, the story is based on a Doujinshi about Sakura Haruno and Sasuke when they were children (I don't know the title or whom it's by. So if anyone knows, please tell me so in the review. Much obliged!)**

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_**Five years ago…**_

"Alright class, be back after recess!"

"Hai, Iruka-sensei!" The children of Konoha Ninja Academy sprinted out of class. One of them, a little dame, stayed stagnate in her assigned seat. Her sapphire/emerald irises gazed at her notepad, a pink pencil in her left hand.

Iruka was about to leave to the lounge when his peripheral vision caught her pink head. "Sakura,"

Startled from her daydream, Sakura rouse her head to her sensei, her speckled cheeks flushed. "Y-yes, Iruka-sensei?"

With a gentle smile, he suggested, "Why don't you go out with the others. I'm sure Hinata is waiting for you."

Shyly she got up from her seat and slid out to the steps, with a shy smile to match. "Okay, see you after recess Iruka-sensei!" with that she hopped up the steps and skipped out the door.

The smile remained as he watched her go. "Hm, she's a good kid." Iruka commented before exiting himself.

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Sakura ran to the fields with her wrapped boxed lunch at hand. She was inclining her head left and right, her vibrant red plait bouncing. _Where is she? This is where we always have lunch._ When looking left she clashed into something catalyst to her landing hard on her rear and dropping her bento box. _Ow! What hit me?_ Looking forward, she consternated at who was in the same position… with loud purple hair.

"Ooh, watch wear you're going _freckle-freak_!" the older girl snarled.

Instantly Sakura dropped her head, eyes on her knees, clenching the cloth of her capris. "I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked.

Snorting, the older girl stood up and inspected herself, then screeched at what she found. "Look what you did!" pointing at a tiny green smudge on her grass-green skirt. "You got grass stain on my new skirt! You gonna pay!" and she had her hands clawing at the frightened Sakura, prepared to pounce…

"Ami!" A platinum blonde haired girl locked her arms around Ami's. "Leave her alone, it was obviously an accident."

"Lay off, Ino!" Ami yelled, struggling to break the unyielding hold while at the same time making a scene. Other kids either glance and went on their way, or completely paused to anticipate the outcome. One in particular, who has pink hair and shares the same name, stood timidly behind Ino.

Sakura stared up in awe, still planted on the grass. "Run, Shiori-chan, run!" Ino exclaimed.

"Ah!" With a small squeal, Shiori Sakura did just that. She retrieved her boxed lunch, albeit shaky in the legs and almost falling a couple times. Ignoring Ami's promises of payback, she willed her uncoordinated feet to keep moving; as she went she peripherally sighted a black haired boy perched on a roof with his back to her, the family crest of red and white donning his back made her cheeks warm. She only stopped when she made it to the academic building, bent over and gasping for breath. As the erratic pumping through her veins regressed, she steadily lifted herself upright, and spotted a spiky headed boy brooding at the swings. Smiling brilliantly, she skipped over until she was next to him. "Aniki!"

Said blonde boy flinched as the fog in his bright blue eyes faded. He peered over right and cracked a small grin. "Imouto!"

"Have you seen Aneki? She wasn't at the fields."

"Uh yeah, she was in a hurry having to head back home. Something 'bout her old man and testing. I dunno, she was rambling. All I got was to tell you that she's very, very, _very_ sorry that she can't stay to meet you." Naruto chuckled nervously while scratching the back of his head. "I must've spaced out after that, heh-heh… sorry."

Sakura patted Naruto's adjacent shoulder. "It's okay, I can eat with you…" bashfully, she scuffed her foot. "… if that's fine with you."

"Heh-heh, o'course Imouto! Ichiraku's sound good?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm,"

With that he shot off the swings and his goofy smile appeared at last. "Then off we go!" grabbing her dainty hand in his roughened one, he bolted with her in tow, both laughing even when they got there.

For the rest of recess, Sakura half-listened to Naruto's gaily chatter, while the other half of her thoughts worried for Hinata. Now that Sakura thought about it, this morning, Hinata had appeared more nervous and stammered almost every word she said. _Maybe I should talk to her tomorrow._ With that resolved, the little bud gave her full attention to one of her only friends…

Trying to ignore her heart's warning that certain things cannot be put on hold for another day.

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Almost two hours past since twilight…

_Oh no!_ Although common sense said to wait until tomorrow, curiosity and heart-clenching concern made her visit Hinata after school, intended to be a fast check-in, but when witnessing a best friend alone, crying in the family dojo, what is a child supposed to do? To Sakura, turning away was never an option. For the rest of sunlight Sakura stayed as a shoulder to lean on, and a friend to talk to; though there wasn't much Hinata spoke up about, only that her father viewed her as a failure and how she couldn't compete against her little sister. The sun had long since set with the moon risen in its place, and Sakura knew she was in for a lecture when she got home, which was a valid reason to be speeding along the pavement, and it doesn't matter that she's gasping in order to keep oxygen in her little lungs, nor that the thickness of her pastel pink braid's seemingly weighing her down.

_Too late… I have to go home. Oh, Ka-chan's is gonna be sooo mad… but… I can't blame Hina-nee-chan; she's having a rough time now… her own father – not all fathers are like this, right? _So deep in thought on what she can do for the neglected heiress – and pondering common characteristics in paternities – she didn't see the black blur until it was too late. A perplexed "eh?" was all she could get out a second before they both startled a yelp and then… smack! They collided, and fell in an audible _*thump*_.

Her eyes were squinted shut, tears pricked while tending her sore bottom for the second time that day. "Ouch… that hurt…" _Why does this always happen to me? _It took until she was certain she wasn't going to cry before she reopened her eyelids… and gasped, not sure if she preferred Sachina again or not.

_U-Uchiha Sasuke! _

"Ah…" Uchiha Sasuke, the class genius, the heart-stopper as well as the heart-breaker at a tender age of seven, now on his rump, softly groaning and successfully concealing how much it truly hurts. He soon regained his cool; his reopened onyx irides pinpointed Sakura as he picked himself up.

Sakura cringed. "I…" _I never spoke to him…_ and because of that she does not know if an apology would be fine with him. "I'm very…" he seemingly loomed over her cowering body, "… v-very…" his narrowed eyes on her. "s-so-sor…" _He seems so scary…_ "I-I…"

His hand shot out. "No!" she screamed in plea, raising her arms as a shield. But in place of the assault she anxiously awaited, he firmly grasped one of her arms, and with a sharp pull, she stood upright. "H-huh?" she was sure he would be mad like the other kids for her clumsiness.

"…" He said nothing.

Startled she was, but clear-headed enough to remember her manners. "Th-thank yo—"

He resumed his run home.

Sakura's eyes stayed on him. _He just helped me. Everyone says he's cold… but… _Her eyes down casted, she prepared to continue her way home. _Not again, I couldn't thank him… I'm such a coward!_ Ere she took a single step, her eyes captured gleaming metal lying where Sasuke once stood. _A-a kunai! It must've fallen out of his bag._ Quickly grabbing the handle and turning back to the intersection in impressive swiftness, she called out, "Wait!" but, _He's not…_ he was already gone.

Shoulders slumped, she peered down at the kunai knife. _What can I do? What __**should**__ I do?_

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At the Uchiha district.

Sakura stood before the home of the head Uchiha family considered to be one of the imperial in the village. Whenever overwhelmed, Sakura's mind overthinks the situation.

_Why is there nobody on the streets?_

_I'm afraid…_

_ R-ru-running would be better…_

Almost ran away too, but the feel of cold metal in her palms stopped her. _Bu-but I – I have to give it back._

On cue, the front shouji slid open, startling her. "Hello?" the teen approaching she recognized to be Sasuke's aniki; Itachi was his name. "Are you a friend of Sasuke's?"

"Ah-I…" she showed him the kunai. "This is Sasuke's!"

Itachi gratefully took the knife. "Is it… so is this the reason you're here?"

Looking down she stammered a reply. "Y-yes. I-it's my fault. I…"

"Brother!"

"Ah!" Sakura squeaked.

Itachi wasn't fazed in the slightest. "Yes, you need something?"

Sasuke peered from the entrance. "No, father says he wants you to see him." then arched a brow at seeing whom his brother was talking to. "Eh? What are you doing Sakura?"

Sakura had her loosely fisted hand over her lips as a faint blush dust her cheeks. _H-he knows my name!_

Itachi mental-noted the girl's name for remembrance. "She came to bring you this." Itachi held out the kunai to his little brother. "Take it."

But Sasuke hadn't moved for it. He dismissively looked away. "There was no need for that." He said, "I wouldn't have gone looking for it or anything."

Sakura crestfallen hearing this, her eyes returning to the cobblestones, barely half-lidded, and her posture drooped.

Itachi grinned, twirling the kunai around his finger. "Oh, yeah? Do you not recognize it? Nothing at all?" Slowing down the spinning knife, "You're one cruel ninja."

Sasuke realized immediately. "That – that's the kunai you got me for my birthday!"

Itachi lazily swung the kunai back-and-forth. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter…"

This caused Sasuke's teeth and fists to clench, his aura sizzling, his whole stance stern. He kept his glare on his brother for a good minute; one little glimpse at the disheartened little girl pacified his frustration from escalating further. One deep breath, inhale then exhale, he finally cooled, and steadily he willed his big eyes on hers. "Umm…" he paused for a second, and could've sworn he felt a faint warmth upon his cheeks. "Tha… thank you."

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**A/N: Obviously it's not the Sakura you think – the right blue eye and freckles (and periodic red hair) should be a dead on. And to clarify any suspicion: Yes, I dislike Sakura Haruno. I dislike her character development, I dislike her representation as the leading female role (since she's barely there with distinctive purpose, and has no screen-time devoted to her since the Chuunin arc), I dislike her subpar variety in battle-style, and I dislike her decision in terms of love—or lack thereof. It's moreso frustrating that she was hinted so much potential and yet scarce! Barely! HARDLY THERE! It's completely unnerving!**

**Granted I didn't ultimately dislike her right away (despite her debut as a bratty fan-girl), I like to get into a good portion of the story, and throughout the first half and the beginning of the second half, Sakura Haruno was beginning to develop in skill and mature in personality. But as Shippuuden trudged on, it was more than clear that her growth wasn't as drastic as I thought, and her personality isn't as mature.**

**But, I digress. I dislike Sakura Haruno, yes, but I don't hate her. There's a difference between disliking and hating something. She has some redeeming qualities to her character, such as her talent in medical ninjutsu – as it's the foundation that sustains shinobi through battle, and her constant desire to feel useful to her team – and she is useful… in the background. But alas, it doesn't save her from being one of my least favorite anime characters overall, and least favorite anime females. And since she's my least favorite…**

***Drumroll***

**I don't think she deserves to be with Sasuke Uchiha.**

**I'm being brutally honest! I know there are many who vigorously disagrees – and that's fine, it's your opinion, more power to ya! – but there are so much between them that I now see unhealthy in a relationship. For starters, it's rooted between a fan-girl and an annoyed dreamboat – not a very strong starter point. Another thing, Sakura's devotion can be determined as obsession: for example, when she tried to stop Sasuke from leaving – there were many things she could've done to ensure he didn't leave, like alert authority because she doesn't stand a chance if he decided to attack her (and technically he did); and in her pleas she said that she has family and friends, **_**but**_** if Sasuke were to leave she'd feel alone just as he always felt alone (oh yeah, losing one person because he wants to leave is **_**utterly**_** in par with losing an entire family via a gory genocide at the bloodstained hands of a traitor). **

**Really Kishi? Just… **_**really?**_

**And then she pleads for him to take her with him, to go with him, to help him achieve his revenge. Where do I start? Well, for starters, she's willing to abandon her home, her parents, and any chance for a healthy relationship, to be with him – who was keen to join forces with a notorious socio/psychopathic enemy of Konoha. And another thing, what could she'd have possibly done to aid him in his ambition – would Orochimaru be willing to train her, or Kabuto teaching her medical jutsu? I thought the point was to urge him **_**away **_**the path of vengeance, not promise to help him in any way possible! **

**And do I need to get started on her quest to kill Sasuke?! She was given the opportunity – she went as far as telling herself that when the time comes she'll do something about Sasuke! (To hell with the fact that Sasuke's immune to poison – she's a frickin' medic, meaning she has knowledge to many if not every vital point in the body; so just a good plunge into the heart and he's as good as dead! Or a decent carving on his spinal column, that'll cripple him for life! Or she should've just used her big brain that's making her forehead abnormally large and strike anywhere that'll incapacitate him long enough to bring him home in confidant!) **

**She went even farther by her false confession to Naruto (for his sake[?]), knocking out her squad so she could deal with Sasuke herself, and the outcome: she nearly gets killed. Not once, twice! The first try made me think **_**'Why did she knock out the others?'**_**, the second try… **_**'What kind of shinobi is she?! She basically digressed to her fan-girl days – a subjugating ragdoll by his presence alone!'**_**. Even Sakura lamented that she's **_**supposed **_**to be a ninja, so even she recognizes her downfall by her own accord. And am I the **_**only one **_**who noticed that Sakura never laid an offensive hand on Sasuke? Not once, whatsoever! **

**Okay, I'm more than likely nitpicking, but I'm speaking from what I see in my parents' relationship everyday! For true love to exist, one should get the gist if not know what's not good for his/her lover, and attempt whatever possible (and at times impossible) to help them see the right path. True love has disagreements, it'll butt heads, and there'll be anger. **_**But**_**, true love would always look at what's necessary and what's best for his/her one and only. He/She won't bend to his/her every whim (hear that Edward Cullen?). They'll work together as a unit and build a decent lifestyle together.**

**This is the ninja world, and in the ninja world death is necessary! She decided to kill Sasuke so he won't degrade himself anymore lower than he already has, but in the last minute, she couldn't… bring herself… TO DO IT!**

_**AGH!**_

**Okay-okay-okay… sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. Bottom line, Sakura has gone in too deep for me to even suggest recreating her character in an AU – maybe differences in decision, but personality wise, nope. So why not start anew with a brand new cherry blossom? **

**NEOZAKURA COMPILATION.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**The tale begins here. It took twelve short years for the lifestyles of one nation to change. A fox demon of nine tails rampaged into Konohagakure, massacres and bloodsheds staining the innocent views and adolescent minds. One shinobi, the Fourth Hokage, faced the demon's power and sealed it within a newborn before death.**_

_**Beforehand, a beautiful maiden of Hidden Leaves was deflowered and forced to bear the incubus' seed. Given the chance to rid this seed from implanting, it was against her morals to destroy life, even one that has yet to begun. Not long followed the incubus exiled, leaving the former maiden to suffer misnomers and the prejudice of a single mother. The cherry blossoms bloom in the incense of spring, along a belle bud sprouted that day as well.**_

_**Years past before an entire kindred decreased drastically to two. The youngest of his kinfolk lost the innocence of child's wonder that destined night. Today he seeks power to surpass his target, to avenge his brethren, and restore its glory.**_

"Miou-hime!"

"Princess, where are you?"

"Young heiress!"

The Oto servants were anxious and agitated, because once again Otogakure's princess, the subsurface village's budding heiress, the beautiful cherry blossom of its founder, has escaped… again.

To sound ninja it really was not something to fret over (since this was not the first time), actually the sound ninja squads tally-mark and wager in estimate of the princess' next escapade for sweet incentive and bitter deduction in payment. But that's the shinobi of Oto…

To factotums of Oto, however, it doesn't signify the luxury to place a bid for a monthly bonus, because the responsibility of the princess was theirs; how caring for the girl legitimately belongs to her father became hot topic during short breaks and meal hours, which happens to be their Otokage. But no, it was hissed by the Otokage personally that the child's wellbeing and whereabouts were under their provisioning surveillance.

One brunette maid, kneeling on the stone pallet of the training grounds, stagnated her duty to mend the scathes, worrying her nails between her lips. "If the heiress isn't retrieved soon, Kabuto-san will report this to the lord!" she told herself.

"… Ah, Hino, I don't know why you waste time worrying about that brat!" a blonde pigtailed scullion entered, wiping her pruned hands with her eggshell apron. "Five years… five _damn_ years since dearest sama reaped child custody over our heads, and that pink rapscallion still has tendency to renegade Oto principles and simple ground rules, which would be _our_ heads!"

"_Under_ground rules really, besides principles and morals are so foreign here!" Hino joked and ignored the blonde's snort. Giggles bubbled her belly as she carried on washing the pallet. "Nakame-chan, be nice to the poor girl," her humorous tone sulked, "you remembered what happened the first time she tried… and how _he_ doesn't tolerate her insolence, so why does she continue this rebellious behavior? I cannot help but worry about her…"

Nakame's resentful scowl sobered to begrudging sympathy. Ungraceful, she plopped on the opposite side of the cannikin, dipped her hand and squeezed out a rag, silently offering assistance to which Hino accepts gratefully. A few moments past soundlessly before Nakame spoke again, "I can _kinda_ empathize with that pinky brat. I mean who _won't_ be addicted to fly the coop with every opportune opens if they were snagged away from a good life, and… being robbed of the memories of such a life."

Hino hummed her agreement while half-heartedly she resumed renovating the floors.

_Kogane-san once said a defined crazy person repeats the same strategy over and over, hoping for a new result… I'm putting myself under no exception. _

A sultry afternoon such as this acquired an immediate retreat to a shady and/or better yet aquatic environment. A cavern veiled by rushing waters was not a place a normal tween girl would picturesque in a daydream; an indoor pool with working air-conditioning, cushiony beach-chairs, a cool glass of ice tea with sliced lemons, pampered by the hottest guy in class – _that _was a girl's paradise. But if the girl just so happens to be the only child of a great threat to mankind, she can only adapt to props and proxies. To be the daughter of a humanoid serpent can damage – or in this case poison – her social status.

Staring through the waterfall to the outside world in the safety of her cove, she stretched out a mottled arm, her hand flecked with scratches that still bled, beneath a streamer of water and tried not to jerk away as freshwater flushed open wounds. Cupping her marred palm, she inaudibly uttered something that caused the colorless liquid to glow dim tinge of celeste. Luminous drops trickled down her bruised arm, past her sore bicep, to her banged up shoulder. Rasping a small chortle when the trickles tickled her underarm, she can breathe easier as she manipulated the glowing streams to encircle her midsection like ribbons, soothing the spasms in her abdomen and bracing the cracks of her ribcage. Sooner than later, she was renewed in physical health.

Gasping for breath she lost so long prior via pierced lungs, she stumbles to the rear of the cave and collapsed on the futon she installed years back. Rustling until in a comforting position on her stomach, she drifted deep in the abyss of restless slumber.

Opposed to public merriment was a loner, with his face stoic and so serious that at times he appeared older than his chronological age. Ink tresses shading his voided visions from the light, black spikes protruding the back of his skull, stealthily stepping as he vaguely notifies greetings coming his way and pays nothing to hazy ogles scanning his body; onyx peers never drifted, not even to glance. Passing thresholds, his footsteps echoes the hallways, and he entered the last panel to his destination before the gong sounded.

"Everyone take your seats, time for attendance." Iruka announced. "Raise your hand when I call your name… Abago Tori?"

Said name raised his hand. "Here!"

The boy of dark eyes and hair sat in his self-designated seat; the back corner of the room by a window. It was few of the places he could have peace to himself, where he can drift in his thoughts, albeit not his first choice because in reality he was not alone, no utter silence. But he adapts depending the agenda. So he looks passively out the window, his atrament gaze scorches past the trees, the neighboring building, and the mount, as he subconsciously opts his eyes to look beyond its limit and beyond the village gates, searching until he can see something…

"Uchiha Sasuke…"

He swiftly rose and set down his hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto… Naruto?"

The next second, a staff member barged in. "Iruka-san! Iruka-san! You must come quick!"

Iruka sighed. "Don't tell me… he's at it again." And that wasn't a question.

"Hn," _Dobe…_

To be an outsider is never any easy thing to cope with. Someone labeled as such were guaranteed to be treated differently; some worse than others. Those who got it worse are individuals no matter what the close-minded so haughtily proclaims, and so each segregated 'outcast' respond the situation differently; some would make themselves invisible, others would seem impassive, and more would be eaten by the cruel claims to point of self-destruct.

And then there are those like him…

Laughing obnoxiously loud and pretending the words didn't hurt, doing things just to get attention – albeit negative, but attention nonetheless. Which was why he's here now, dangling on a makeshift bosun's chair, a red paint bucket in one hand and a large paintbrush in another. Laughing obnoxiously loud meant to be heard like a reveille.

He laughed, even though he's hurting, he smiles wide – so much his eyes scrunch closed. He was known as the pariah of the Leaf, the unwanted, the nobody. He doesn't understand why or how he was cursed; at first he assumed it was something his parents had done, but if it were true he can't hold a grudge against them, whoever they were, because somewhere inside told him that they loved him.

Love… something he hardly ever received if ever gotten.

What other way was there to be noticed, than wreck havoc and mischief. The only reason Uzumaki Naruto was repeating what he'd done to the monument last week. The only tweak was acrylic red paint, way more effective than washable spray-paint. He snickered as the bellows of angry shinobi recognized his intentions; yelling for him to stop, how he'll pay the price, and raging rants about his work.

He swirled around and faced his audience. _If you'd only acknowledged me more…_ but his somber thought contrast his cheeky declaration. "Ha! You sissy morons ain't got the balls to do this! But that's why I'm here, 'cause I'm the best!" he swirled back to complete the spiral on the monument that shares his hairstyle – strangely he can never mark anything vulgar on this one.

So fixated he wasn't aware of the Third's arrival, nor did he hear Iruka's sincere apology to the Third until— "UZUMAKI NARUTO! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING DURING CLASS PERIOD?!"

Naruto _eeped_, his arms and legs flailing frantically. _Shit! Iruka-sensei – I'm screwed!_

_**Konoha Academy – Iruka's Classroom**_

"What d'ya think the Dead-Last do this time?"

"Maybe he's in Konoha's Juvenile Hall!"

"No way, he's been there a gazillion times and always escape."

"Who cares? Whatever he does we go down with him, it's not fair!"

"Yeah, why can't he face punishment without us involved!"

Sasuke _tsked_ at his peers' gossip. These mere children don't know what it takes to become a ninja and yet they're here with aplomb and frivolous beliefs that they'll actually succeed and thrive in the shinobi realm. The young Uchiha inner-seethed, entrapped with snot-nosed adolescents driveling about their stupid _dreams_. It sickens Sasuke that he'd once been blinded by such childish disposition – once upon a fantasy, Uchiha Sasuke fawned over a dream and believed in better days, he had doe-eyes on many he used to idolize. But that was ancient history, even though chronological sense was five years ago.

An angry voice was noted before the panel skidded in a slam, framing an irate Iruka, clutching the wide-collar of the tied-up and talked-about Dead-Last, in mist of his lecture. "… vandalizing property, and the _Hokage Monument _no less! Have you no sentiment for discipline?!" he turfed the twelve-year-old troublemaker before the class. "The Shinobi's Graduation Exam is tomorrow and you've flunked twice already, and you insist in such insolence! If you want to lollygag do it another week, _this_ isn't the time!"

For a split second Naruto's eyes flickered internal pain and Iruka managed to catch it, but then it went away, that look of defiance barricading. "Whatever…" the village outcast muttered, inclining away aloof.

Uchiha Sasuke scoffed, knowing too well the outcome. It takes no premonition, Iruka announces a pop quiz as punishment, because if one student screws up, the rest pays the price. It wasn't a test that reached his caliber – a simple duplication technique – what a laugh, _if _Sasuke ever laughed. Ignoring until his name was called, he waste no time performing the hand sign, mirror his sensei, then returning to his original image and walking out.

Another day wasted on basics, basics he aced hands bound. Uchiha Sasuke, survivor of family genocide, must seek something more to empower his ambition.

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